Road to Mastery

Road to Mastery (Road to Mastery #1) by Valerios follows Jack Rust, a former biologist who finds himself trapped in a transformed Earth dominated by an alien AI known as the System. Stripped of magic and armed only with his fists, Jack must navigate a hostile environment filled with monsters and a mysterious forest dungeon. As he fights to survive and uncover the truth behind the invasion, Jack adapts to this new reality where physical strength becomes his primary tool. This novel blends elements of fantasy, science fiction, and role-playing game mechanics within a post-apocalyptic setting.

Road to Mastery 2 by Valerios continues Jack’s struggle to protect Earth as he flees a B-Grade galactic empire and races to grow strong enough within a single year. With only his talent, fists, and the support of Brock the brorilla, he navigates hostile star systems toward Trial Planet, a legendary training world built around nine planetary rings. Each ring presents escalating challenges, from giants and barbarians to alien monsters, intricate puzzles, ancient trials, and enigmatic cultivators. Blending LitRPG structure with post-apocalyptic science fantasy, this progression fantasy focuses on survival, rapid power growth, and the brutal demands of mastering combat in a dangerous universe.

Road to Mastery 3 by Valerios continues Jack’s struggle to become strong enough to protect Earth before its limited grace period runs out. With only eight months left and the planetary overseer still far beyond his reach, Jack travels alone into the Animal Kingdom’s world of immortal warriors, where every encounter is a potential death sentence. Surrounded by hostile factions, secretive Elders, and hidden masters, he must fight his way upward while staying unnoticed by those who could crush him instantly. This installment deepens the LitRPG and progression fantasy elements, emphasizing high-stakes combat, strategic cultivation, and survival in a hostile, post-apocalyptic cosmos.

Road to Mastery 4 by Valerios continues Jack’s progression from planetary liberator to contender on a much larger, more dangerous stage. With his world freed but the wider universe ruled by far stronger powers, Jack and Brock enter the Black Hole Church, training among elite cultivators while remaining significantly weaker than their peers. As the Hand of God prepares a Second Crusade and fanatics seek to resurrect Enas, an ancient leader of the Old Gods, Jack must survive brutal trials, shifting alliances, and a shadowed dimension where familiar faces become deadly threats. This installment blends LitRPG mechanics, progression fantasy, and post-apocalyptic science fantasy as Jack tests the limits of his power in pursuit of true mastery.

Road to Mastery 5 by Valerios continues Jack Rust’s progression fantasy arc as his long-standing conflict with the Animal Kingdom faction escalates into open war. Now strong enough to challenge them directly, Jack commits to a decisive confrontation, even as a wider cosmic struggle unfolds between the Church and the Immortals. The story blends LitRPG structure, post-apocalyptic science fiction elements, and high-stakes magical combat, pushing Jack toward clashes with B-Grade opponents and threats beyond his home galaxy. As battles intensify and survival grows more precarious, the novel also follows Jack’s internal struggle against his own darker impulses, balancing large-scale action with personal stakes.

Road to Mastery 6 continues Valerios’s LitRPG apocalypse saga, following Jack the Brawler as he pushes his evolving powers in a devastated, game-like world. As monstrous threats, alien forces, and hostile survivors collide, Jack must test new abilities, refine his combat style, and confront ever more dangerous challenges. Blending fantasy, science fiction, and progression-focused action, this installment deepens the series’ focus on survival, character growth, and tactical use of magic and skills within a harsh post-apocalyptic system.